Fences are used to enclose property and define the boundaries thereof In addition, railings and banisters are provided within and around houses as a safety device to prevent individuals from falling from uneven floor levels and as an aid in climbing stairs. In order to fit in with the aesthetics of their surroundings, railings and similar structures are adorned with aesthetic designs.
For aesthetic purposes, decorative designs and scrolls have traditionally been formed from the same material as the fence or post structure itself, usually metal. In addition, such decorative designs have traditionally also been welded to the structure. Therefore, the aesthetic designs have traditionally been incorporated into fences, posts, railings, and gates during the fabrication process and have substantially increased the cost of such structures. Furthermore, because of the increased weight of such structures after fabrication, it has made transportation and installation more costly and cumbersome.
Aesthetic designs that can be affixed to fence structures at a post-production stage have been contemplated in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,022,435 to Glass discloses a molded scroll design for fence structures that can be applied to existing structures. However, the scroll design of Glass has a complex attachment procedure that utilizes multiple parts. The device of Glass has a face plate and a back plate that need to be screwed into the scroll structure to affix the device to the fence structure. The multiplicity of parts makes the installation of Glass' device cumbersome and time consuming. Alternatively, Glass proposes a clip on apparatus that attaches to post structures. However, the clip on structure cannot sustain the weight of complex aesthetic designs and can easily be stolen by vandals.
The prior art does not address the need for a device that provides aesthetic designs for post structures that can easily be applied to pre-existing post structures in a durable yet removable fashion. Therefore, there remains a long standing and continuing need for an advance in the art of aesthetic designs for post structures that is simpler in both design and use, is more economical, sturdy, and efficient in its construction and use, and can quickly be installed onto a preexisting post structure in a sturdy fashion.